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Apple is now selling its updated Mac OS X Lion operating system as a $69 thumb drive.

The device is currently shipping within one to three business days.

“OS X Lion is available on a USB thumb drive for installation without the need for a broadband Internet connection,” Apple said on its Web site. “Just plug the drive into your USB port and follow the instructions to install.”

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I upgraded my MacBook Pro to Apple OS X Lion in a lunch hour. Okay, it wasn't a lunch hour—I couldn't wait that long—but even more astonishing than the expediency (30 minutes to download and 35 to upgrade) was the effortlessness of the process.

At 9am yesterday morning, I opened the Mac App Store, clicked purchase, and let the installer work its magic. When I returned to my machine, it donned a fresh new log-in screen and a new OS. As tech journalist, this ought to have delighted me. Instead, I was left hungering for more.

It's not that Lion isn't a graceful creature; Apple's latest OS adds poise to an already agile predecessor. The 250 new features—Mission Control has already changed how I work—touch every corner of the OS and surpass the 150 additions of the refinement-focused Snow Leopard. Yet I can't help feel that something important is happening—has already happened—to very concept of the OS.

In this episode, we attempt to review the LogitechC910 HD Pro webcam. According to the package, it's a webcam that records in up to 1080p, and is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. We start recording using the iSight camera built right in to the Apple Cinema Display, and then we decide to switch recording to the C910 to show the difference in video quality. We were running Mac OS X Lion, the day after it was released. Witness the failure.

We asked Logitech what was up, and all they could tell us was that a future software upgrade would be released, however, they couldn't give any sort of timeframe for when we should expect it.

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In snapping up Lion, Apple customers apparently set new records for Apple's eight major operating system. The release also comes amid news that Apple may begin ditching boxed software.

“Lion is off to a great start, user reviews and industry reaction have been fantastic,” said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in a statement. “Lion is a huge step forward, it's not only packed with innovative features but it's incredibly easy for users to update their Macs to the best OS we've ever made.”

If you're looking for an inexpensive Mac, the Mac mini is your answer, and Apple just released an updated model today alongside the release of OS X Lion. The new model sports Intel Sandy Bridge processors, either in the Core i5 or i7 flavor, along with a Thunderbolt port, Lion pre-installed, AMD Radeon HD discreet graphics, and Bluetooth 4.0. One thing that disappears from the Mac mini, though, is the SuperDrive. Instead, you'll have to rely on things like the Mac App Store for installing apps, and this shouldn't be too big a deal. The Mac mini starts at $599, and there's also a server version that ships with Lion Server for $999, and that one packs a Core i7 processor. You can purchase the new Mac mini now from the Apple Store.

Yes, we know that the big excitement of the day is the release of Mac OS X Lion, but if you're more of a hardware person, you should know that Apple has released a refreshed MacBook Air this morning. The 13- and 11-inch notebooks now sport Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, backlit keyboards, Thunderbolt ports (replacing the old Mini DisplayPort,) and ship with Mac OS X Lion installed.

Pricing starts at $999 for the 11.6-inch model, which gives you 64 GB SSD, 2 GB RAM, and a Core i5 1.6 GHz processor. For $1199, you get the 11.6-incher with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD. Both models offer five hours of battery life. Moving on to the 13-inch model, that starts at $1,299 and hits you with a 128 GB SSD, 4 GB RAM, and a 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 processor. Step it up to $1,599, and you get a 256 GB SSD instead, and the 13-inchers give you 7 hours of battery life. Everything else remains the same (which means the FaceTime cameras haven't been upgraded to HD) here, and they're available now on the Apple Store.

So, yeah, OS X Lion launched today, but you need your software to take advantage of all those new features in order to really get the most of the product. Apple know that, and they've released iWork Update 6 today, which brings features like full screen, Resume, Auto Save, and Versions to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. You can grab it now through Software Update.

During today's Apple earnings call, CFO Peter Oppenheimer announced that Mac OS X 10.7, better known as OS X Lion, will be launching tomorrow on the Mac App Store. Lion will be available as a 4 GB download, and will sell for $29.99. Once purchased, you can install it on all Macs that you own at no extra cost, and without any sort of authorization key. Apple is touting 250 new features in Lion, with things like Launchpad (an app launcher that is reminiscent of iOS,) Mission Control (a replacement for Expose,) Resume, touch gestures, and more included. Lion Server will also be available as a $50 add-on.

Hot on the heels of the Apple seeding the OS X Lion Golden Master to developers, we're now hearing that Apple is planning on releasing that very same build to the world on July 14th, exclusively on the Mac App Store for $29.99. Of course, these plans can change is devs find any showstopping bugs in the Golden Master, but barring that extremely unlikely occurrence, you should be all set to get in on Apple's new hotness in just under two weeks.